Director of Community Philanthropy Brad Ward shares the big takeaways from Strengthening Community: Finding Synergies between Leadership and Donor Engagement, a recent Council member workshop about what it takes to operate a successful community foundation in this century.

On Thursday, October 27, 2016, the Chronicle of Philanthropy released this year’s Philanthropy 400, its annual ranking of American nonprofits based on the private support they raise. The special report acknowledged a record year in giving, and named Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the charitable giving arm of Fidelity Investments, the nation’s top charity by contributions received.

The Charitable Giving Coalition (CGC) urged Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the major party nominees for President of the United States, to support the full preservation of the charitable deduction in a letter the coalition sent to the candidates this week.

The Council on Foundations is pleased to announce the application period for its flagship leadership development program, Career Pathways, is open now through October 31, 2016. Through Career Pathways, the Council seeks to increase the number of candidates from diverse backgrounds in the leadership pipeline and develop a generation of diverse leaders who are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their own organizations and the broader philanthropic sector.

The Council’s Endowments and Finance Summit is the premier annual event for those responsible for the strategic and effective management of foundations’ assets and resources. High level speakers attached to the 2016 convening include Alberto Ibargüen, President, CEO and Trustee, Johnson S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Dr. Jason Wingard, Dean and Professor, School of Professional Studies, Columbia University; Jean Case, CEO of The Case Foundation; Randall Lane, Editor of Forbes Magazine; and Vikki Spruill, President and CEO of the Council on Foundations.

Join the Council on Foundations for a conversation with your peers about the ways in which foundations can transcend the current climate of partisan stalemate and work to make our democratic processes more fair, open, and representative.

The Council on Foundations’ 2016 Endowments and Finance Summit is just around the corner – Sept. 28-30 – and as co-chair of the convening, I strongly encourage you to register for it! I personally look forward to the summit each year because it’s the preeminent venue for foundation executives to share information about investment trends, challenges, solutions and best practices. It also provides unrivaled opportunities to meet and collaborate with some of the top finance leaders in philanthropy. This is why my organization, the TIAA Institute, is thrilled to once again serve as the summit’s Education Partner and co-sponsor.

When I noticed late last year that the Council on Foundations’ annual conference would focus on climate change, I was delighted. For The Fund for New Jersey and other place-based funders, climate change has been a daunting challenge.